Aditya Birla Group Director Aryaman Birla said Royal Challengers Bengaluru will retain its name after the group’s entry into the franchise. He called RCB one of India’s strongest sporting brands and said sports was a long-term investment area. Birla also highlighted the group’s wider sports plans through Reebok’s association with football club NorthEast United FC.

No Name Change For RCB: Aditya Birla Group Calls Franchise One Of India’s Strongest Sporting Brands |

Mumbai: Aryaman Birla, Director of the Aditya Birla Group, has ruled out any change to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru name, describing RCB as one of India’s strongest sporting brands, while underlining the group’s long-term ambitions in sport.

Responding to speculation that RCB could undergo a name change following the Aditya Birla Group’s entry into the franchise, Birla was categorical.

“That’s not happening. We think it’s a fantastic team and a fantastic franchise. Royal Challengers Bengaluru has built a fantastic brand that consumers and fans love. It has great community traction, and I would say it’s one of the best brands from India,” Birla said.

“We love the name, and we want to stick with the name. So I think that we must put that to rest.”

`;

For the Aditya Birla Group, RCB also represents its first major foray into sport, an area Birla believes offers considerable long-term potential.

“For our group, it’s our first foray into sports. We think sports is a fantastic asset class. It’s something that we want to invest in. It gives us reach to a lot of households and a lot of consumers,” he said.

“We think that over a long period of time, it’s a great investment. Personally, I’m very excited, but even as a group, we’re very excited. We’re able to make a mark in sports and to get RCB as a team. It’s a huge thing for us.”

Birla’s comments on RCB come against the backdrop of the group’s broader push into the sports ecosystem through Reebok, which has associated with NorthEast United FC.

He said the association reflects Reebok’s ambition to reclaim its position in Indian sport, fitness and wellness. Recalling the brand’s association with Indian cricket, Birla referred to the 2011 World Cup and MS Dhoni’s famous winning six in the final.

“I think it’s an opportunity for Reebok to re-own sports, to own fitness and wellness within the country and reclaim its spot amongst fitness, wellness and sports,” he said.

The strategy, he added, extends beyond elite athletes to consumers increasingly making fitness and wellness part of their daily lives.

Despite the challenges facing Indian football and uncertainty surrounding the Indian Super League, Birla said Reebok saw value in NorthEast United FC because of the club’s relationship with its community and the region’s football culture.

“We love not only football as a space and what NorthEast United is doing. We think it’s a fantastic community that they’ve built. It’s a very core part of the culture of the region,” he said.

Birla acknowledged that young leagues would inevitably experience ups and downs, but stressed the need for companies to continue supporting sport.

“It’s our responsibility to back leagues, to back sports, to back players. It’s still a very, very early league. Leagues take a long time to mature,” he said.

For Reebok, the NorthEast United association is therefore intended to go beyond football. Birla said the club offers the brand an opportunity to connect with consumers through the emotion, community and culture surrounding the sport.

“Hopefully, it goes beyond just the sport and into really the hearts and lives of consumers of that region and beyond as well,” he said.

Add As a

Trusted Source